The CW is set to undergo a number of sweeping changes courtesy of the network's new ownership.
According to a report from Deadline, Nexstar Media Group plans to continue The CW's brand of scripted content while also trimming the number of series and branching out into new territory. This will include the addition of procedural dramas as well as half-hour comedies and sitcoms. With the recent discovery that the average CW viewer's age was older than previously thought at 58 years old, Nexstar also plans to air series that cater specifically to this older audience alongside the programming geared toward the 18-34 demographic. The report also noted that despite the major changes in scripted content, the studio's unscripted shows will remain the same and viewers can expect to see more series like Penn & Teller: Fool Us and World's Funniest Animals.
Further changes to the network could also come in the form of its studio partnerships. Prior to Nexstar's purchase of The CW, its two studio partners were Warner Bros TV and CBS Studios, and while that partnership will remain in place through the 2022-2023 television season, Nexstar will eventually be able to decide if it wants to renew the deal or seek out new partners, an option which is not off the table.
Multiple projects are currently in the pipeline under this new regime, including a show starring Archie Comics' Jake Chang, as well as a period piece titled The Hatpin Society that will follow the adventures of a group of suffragists in their battle for equality in 1909 New York City. While the Jake Chang series is set to be produced by Warner Bros TV and Daniel Dae Kim's production company 3AD, The CW currently plans to develop The Hatpin Society itself before finding a studio partner for the series.
Earlier in 2022, it was reported that The CW had been operating at a loss for some time, and as it approaches this new era, Nexstar plans to increase the network's profits by seeing a reduction in its spending. The mass cancellation of multiple CW series, followed months later by the announced final seasons of The Flash and Riverdale, pointed toward this strategy. According to the report, the studio will also be trimming the number of genre shows on the network and lowering the costs of unscripted content.
Source: Deadline